HomeNews roomNews releasesTelefilm Canada updates its Development Program: The first step towards a more diversified financing portfolio

Telefilm Canada updates its Development Program: The first step towards a more diversified financing portfolio

June 29, 2017

Changes to the program in 2017 include additional funding for women-led projects, support for emerging talent, as well as a new partnership with Creative BC

Montreal, June 29, 2017 – In order to better serve the audiovisual industry, Telefilm Canada has expanded the eligibility criteria for its Development Program to support its objective of achieving a representative and diversified feature film portfolio by 2020.

According to Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada: “The Development Program is a crucial first step to achieving a diversified slate of Canadian productions that reflects the Canadian population. The changes we’ve made to the program this year are consistent with our corporate priorities, namely greater support for emerging talent, documentarians, and women, with a continued focus on Indigenous and official language minority communities. Our goal is that our financing portfolio is varied, representative, and diverse in every respect.”

Production companies who have already produced a film under the Micro-Budget Production Program are now eligible: provides additional support to emerging talent with demonstrated expertise.

Now open to creators who have already produced a theatrically released documentary: provides additional support to the documentary filmmaking community. Telefilm Canada more than doubled its investment in documentary films in 2017, for a total of $1.7 million.

New support for British Columbia: additional support is now available for creators from British Columbia, thanks to a joint initiative with Creative BC. Production companies from the province who receive less than $30,000 in development funding from Telefilm Canada may receive a top-up amount from Creative BC to reach $30,000 in total funding.

Streamlined application process: for the first time ever the program, which opens its doors July 4, 2017, will be administered on Dialogue, Telefilm’s new application management platform that is gradually replacing eTelefilm. Dialogue is a collaborative cloud-based environment that simplifies and expedites the application process.

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About Telefilm Canada — Inspired by Talent. Viewed Everywhere.

Celebrating 50 years in 2017, Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of the Canadian audiovisual industry. Through funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent at home and around the world. Telefilm also makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual treaty coproductions to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Launched in 2013, the Talent Fund collects private donations to principally support emerging talent. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/telefilmcanada/.